Kelly B.com

It feels like the world is on fire, huh? I'm already super stressed and isolated.  To cut to the chase, I'm fine, I've been medically healthy, my family is fine, they too are medically healthy. I'm grateful for what I have. I'm not bemoaning my situation but I am however, entitled to an opinion that is not all sunshine and lollipops. Now on to more interesting things... The recent situation with George Floyd has lit the U.S up.  And perhaps the combination of already being so vexed and then you add in this "kindling" so to speak and a firestorm would naturally erupt.  You can't really say for sure why this instance mattered so much when literally hundreds of years have proceeded this of black persons being being killed for no reason by white people who get seemingly no punishment but my guess is that we were just primed up and ready for it.  If President Trump's administration wanted to act as the lighter fluid, then here's what the outcome...

I'm kind of a boring with age.  I am tentative about using the term conservative because it has distinctly political connotations and I don't want to deal with any of that but my choices as I age are less crazy and risk taking.  Plus as I understand economics better I feel the need to put my money where my thoughts and beliefs are.  Example, I don't do that whole Kardashian thing.  Like, at all.  I don't watch the shows, I don't have the apps, I don't buy the makeup or the clothes or any of the things that they shill on the regular.  I don't do it because a.) I genuinely don't believe there's that much quality assurance that goes into their products b.) if you keep buying into it they'll keep thinking you want more and they'll keep pushing out more.  I'd like for it all to quietly go away.  Much like I'd like Jessica Simpson to please stop "designing" clothes, shoes and bags.  I didn't care for her music or shows in the ...

Did you miss makeup madness?  Probably not, but while I'm in the mood I've wanted to mention my current interest in cushion foundation.  I don't think too much about the other cushion products but since it's such a craze in Korea there's typically a reason something like that really takes off.  Typically I'm a big fan of Physician's Formula products at the drugstore even though they're a pricier product there because they don't make me break out, almost everything contains SPF30+, many are fragrance free and all of the BB and CC products other than just tinting my face actually have skincare properties as well and I'm willing to pay a bit more to avoid looking like a pizza.  I was going to try and get the PF cushion but as much as I wander CVS I haven't seen my shade and in an impatient moment I decided to just jump on and get the L'oreal True Match Lumi Cushion product instead.  I bought it with my own money and after sales and rebates i...

Dudes...did you know I'm not a big makeup wearer?  I've tried at various points in my life to snazzy up with a little lipstick and a little powder but I am about 95% of the time completely without any true foundation type makeup because a.) makeup takes time and I'd rather be sleeping b.) it feels weird for people who don't wear makeup everyday to suddenly wear makeup.  I do like buying makeup at the drugstore oddly enough. I like looking at beautiful packaging and I especially love a nice tube of lipstick. Nothing perks me up like a new lippy.  Not lip gloss, not lip stain, not lip balm...just old fashioned stick to your teeth lipstick. I love it. However now that I'm getting older I admit that I need a little advantage in my court. Those long nights have caught up to me comforting my fussy younger child (my elder child was a dream so for all of you thinking about number two just remember that. I preemptively curse you just as I was also preemptively cursed. No...

I'm all for body awareness and empowerment.  I really do think it's great that there are a lot of positive messages out there now, but I hate the thin-shaming.  I just cannot stand it, as a person who spent all of her childhood being way too gangley limbed I have heard it all. "What are you doing? It's not like you need to lose any weight." "You're a size what? Oh my God you make me sick." "Oh shut up and just eat a cookie." Listen...I get that most people just project their own negativity about their own appearance outwards towards others. I understand that sometimes if you're miserable about yourself you'd rather everyone be miserable right along side you but I don't have to like it.  I don't give anyone grief about being a size 14. If you have a glandular issue it is SO not my business what is going on with your thyroid.  And just like it's none of my business why you let yourself go and gained another chin in...

I like to think I try and guilt myself into updating about once a week or two even if whatever I write makes no sense and is rambles incoherently...hey it's the internet . No one cares about that anyway. Kids actually put texting shorthand into the things they write because it's so normal to them they think it's appropriate to put into a paper. Sad. Anyway, commentary about the disintegration of the English language is always fun but...I have a side writing project. I admit it. I'm cheating on the blog. So I may be light on updates as my creative juices are simmering elsewhere. Don't think I died. I did not die. Am I sharing this project via the intarwebs ? I don't know. I guess I'm on the fence about that because it's much more personal and the intarwebs ? She is mean. Full of lurking jerks with cheeto fingers. And I have to fence in my feelings because I will inevitably hurt someone's feelings. I am a feeling hurter . I love Brussels Sp...

As you may have already noticed, I have really random luck. Not particularly "good" or "bad"...just random. Like, that $100 gift card a few months ago. Like constantly getting hit by other drivers in my car and it not being my fault and my car perpetually being in the shop. If it was good luck I wouldn't be hit. If it were bad luck, I'd be horribly disfigured and hurt. As it stands I'm perfectly whole and healthy. And I apparently tapped into some more random luck. If you haven't already guessed I am a bleeding heart. I don't want to be a crunchy granola chomping hippie but I'll be damned if I don't secretly want to wear all organic clothes and throw away everything I own that's plastic. Dirty Dirty Petrochemicals. As it stands I don't want to shave my legs, but that's another story. So these hippie tendencies in me tend to make me want to secretly save the world. I don't have a brand name one, but I have a stainless ...

I've been teeter tottering between how to approach this subject without sounding really weird or racy. It's not racy at all. But if you happen to know me you might know that I hate shaving. I just hate it. I can't stand the stumble, I can't stand the repetitive regularity that you have to do it. I can't imagine being 90 and leaning over trying to shave my legs. I'll just tell you now that it just isn't going to happen. I'll just be that really hairy 90 year old, thanks. Despite my ire, I don't want to be that random weirdo with hairy man-legs. Not that I have anything against it, but the social stigma is too much for me. So I actually find a lot of interest in hair removal alternatives beyond the razor. My favorite for a while was the Nair Sugar wax system, which I guess I'd liken to cheaper Nad's. If you were alive in the 90's you are all too familiar with the infomercials that Nads made. Oh Nads. What a wonderfully colorful n...

I'm on day 2 of my 4 day long weekend. I have PTO to burn up so why not? I have Xmas shopping to do anyway and my mind was a bubbling cauldron of stress, anxiety and general discomfort. I needed a break, if only to wander around Macy's for a bit. But you know what? It's been really great so far. Like, much better than I thought a break from work would be. Sure I did a heck of a lot of laundry, but I was so psyched about some new bedding I purchased on Cyber Monday (it's not as dirty as it's name implies). I know...I've become far too domesticated, but SHEETS! I love good bedding. These were 400tc King sized Cotton Sateen sheets. Mmmmm. I like our 450's better but for $26 inclusive of shipping to get King sized sheets?! I'm not going to complain. They're fabulous. I'm sure as you go up and up and up it gets better but having too-good of taste only proves to bite you in the butt because you'll never want to sleep in common sheets ev...

I was thinking about it months ago that I needed a change. I didn't know what. I didn't know how, but I felt like I was in a rut and I needed a small boost to recharge me. HRD , the local salon that Kim had her bachelorette at will cut your hair for Locks of Love. I stumbled upon this small tidbit of information and it got me thinking. LisaF always seems to do it every few years once hers gets outgrown so clearly it's not a difficult or arduous task. And the more I thought about it (which by the way, equals at least 4 weeks of thinking in real time) I really wanted to do something contributory. I don't feel like I give enough in life. I used to give to charities here and there but Trevor has made me jaded about organized non profits because a good chunk of your donations go into the general business costs of running any business, and not to the actual starving cancer kids you think it's going to. So now I'm freaked out about giving money to people...great...

So, you might wonder what if I forgot about my list. Oh no...you only wish. I've been busy. Work is like a rollercoaster of busy, busy, go, Go, GO!! My bestie is moving away and I gotta buy gifts again. Darn it! Anyway... #2 on Things I didn't know before I got married. Money. Well, obviously I knew money existed. Duh. I'm actually quite proud that I know my way with money. I often thank my lucky stars for having absorbed so much geekiness from business school. But, perhaps nothing could prepare me for sharing finances because there are inevitably inequities. Not to go into many specifics but if you have money and your spouse does not, does saying "I Do" suddenly entitle them to using your money? Maxing out your credit card? Running up your bills? I think it's a recipe for disaster. The number one thing that couples argue about? Surprise, surprise...Money. Do I know how to fix this? No. It's really something for every couple to work out among t...

My bestie Amanda is moving. I'm trying to pick my jaw off the floor and then I'm trying not to be selfish and obnoxious. Things which are difficult for me because I genuinely don't want her to go, but I think that it's a good opportunity for her. I will however miss going out to eat with her, having endlessly unfocused conversations that snake between a dozen different topics, and cooking together. She'll be muchly missed by this Kelly. I know she's a little misunderstood, but I like it. I like her eccentric nature. I think it's a colorful splash of excitement in an otherwise boring and conservative dull world full of khaki pants and polo shirts. I hate saying goodbye, (although given my history with death this year I suppose I should be a veteran at this) but at least I can always hop a plane and visit her. It could be worse. And selfishness aside I think it's due time that she get out. Staying the course has made her miserable. And if you'r...

I've been reading blogs (what a surprise, she writes in one and she reads them) and what typically happens is that I absorb the snark and I begin writing in a much more abrasive fashion than I would ever actually express myself in real life. So if I by some irrational reason have rubbed you the wrong way I totally don't intend to rub anyone the wrong way. In fact I don't want to rub anyone on the internet. It seems both inappropriate and weird. I really just want to get thoughts out of my head. It's that simple. I think many thoughts...although they are rarely deep and meaningful. Thankfully I don't have to think wedding prep thoughts anymore and that's a huge weight off my shoulders, but I still have weird things floating in my head that worry me in some way. Mostly it's about things I still need to buy for the house that cost way too much money. Occasionally it's about how I really don't like working side-by-side with my husband on a physica...

So...I really need to get some shopping done. Talk about procrastination. The only worse thing would be to wait until the last minute on Christmas Eve. Hopefully the person who picked me out of the Secret Santa pull is better than I am and would complete their shopping much earlier than this but just in case...I'll spit out a few things that are always big hits in Kelly-land. 1.) Vichy. I am addicted to the stuff. You can never have enough of the greatest day-cream ever . Plus I am lazy and enjoy built in SPF in everything. Also I am fond of their calming solution liquid cleanser. 2.) Food. In particular restaurant gift cards because if there is anything better than eating indulgently, it's eating indulgently for slightly less money. Plus once it's used it does not take up any space in my home. 3.) Good sheets. I spend like 8 hours in bed every single day. I think having good sheets is worthwhile. Plus over time you'll have to replace them as they get dirty, holey ...

I'm a pretty decent homebody. I'm more apt to neurotically bother my fiance about getting the laundry out of the drier than I am to dress up in cheap but flashy top and go out on the town, however this past weekend Viki & crew were out on the town celebrating her 27 th Birthday so I really felt as though it would be special to go out with them. I'm not proud of being a homebody, it's just a result of having a lot of chores, work, fiance and family obligations. And I know I need to appreciate the friends that I do have, so it was decided that I should come out. I was not prepared to go out, but I was hanging out with Kim anyway and she mentioned in passing that I should come out, if only briefly. I thought I'd just meet them at the local bar and then go home when they decided to go into Springfield. As it turned out I was having a lot of fun and didn't really want to go home yet since things were only starting to get good. I made fast friends with Viki...

Happy December! It's crazy how fast it all runs by. I took Friday off because I've acquired PTO that I never used and will have to use before the end of the year. My beloved Trevor also took the day off so we had a little daytime adventure of doing our semi-annual run to Kappy's , a liquor store chain in Massachusetts. I had never heard of Kappy's before Trevor, but it's a chain and I'd liken it to the most Walmart -like Liquor store I know of. In our neck of the woods you cannot purchase wine or spirits from your grocery store so you have to go to a liquor, or as we call it, "Package Store." And yes, if you walk into a package store and expect to be able to send a package they'll know you're not from around here. Colloquialisms aside, Kappy's is Trevor's favorite package store because they're quite large and therefore sell at a slight discount to their smaller mom and pop competitors. Hard Alcohol is always sold at a high ...

It's been a sleepy rainy day for me. I don't like to complain about real life too much (mostly because I don't like hearing other people do it) but after working 4 1/2 hours of overtime in addition to my normal 40 hours I felt a little overextended and decided to sleep in. Today was very uneventful. I didn't bake a single thing! I did however throw together a nice dinner of Seafood Risotto. I'm a huge risotto fan. I think it reminds me of a mix between mashed potatoes and rice. It's creamy, but flavorful. Not just mushy overcooked rice. For 2 cups of arborio rice there were about 5-6 cups of chicken stock slowly mixed and cooked in with clams and shrimp and topped with fish. It turned out pretty well considering I'm a novice with this kind of rice. I'm much more acquainted with Jasmine rice and I could probably cook Jasmine rice in my sleep. The only thing I was missing was wine. Not being a big wine drinker I didn't have any white wine on ...

A good Male Oriented Bargain site--> http://bensbargains.net Whoever Ben is, he likes computer parts, mp3 players, phone accessories and video game stuff. Because of one of his posts I got my laptop for under $600 after taxes & rebates, so I definitely make it a point to peruse the site on a regular basis when I'm in the market for some electronics. My dad's in the market for a flat screen monitor. He doesn't have one (clearly) and he's always looking for electronic related advice and tips. He's so cute. It's nice to have the ability to give advice to my dad after him giving me advice for so many years. I'm busier at work than I imagined I'd be so soon, but it's been good. I've had a positive experience so far managing my plans. In my down time though I try to find my dad a decently priced monitor. I was looking at wedding stuff for a while but it gets me down. lol I don't really want to worry about monogrammed cocktail napki...